Fiction Contest
The Leapfrog 2011 Fiction Contest will open on January 15, 2011.
The contest is for Adult Fiction. Any novella- or novel-length work of fiction, including short-story collections, not previously published* is eligible. The minimum length is 22,000 words; there is no maximum length.
* Previously self-published books that have no more than 200 copies in circulation will be considered "unpublished" and may be submitted. Short stories that have been published in literary journals may be included in collections.
1. Email fictioncontest@leapfropress.com. The subject line should read "Contest entry: manuscript title." (use actual manuscript title). Please use the full title, or as much as possible. In the body of the message, include your full name, address, email address, and the book's title. Please do not include any biographical information.Attach your entire manuscript as a single text, Word, or PDF document. Use the title of the manuscript as the file name. Please do not call your file "mybook.doc" or "leapfrog.doc" or "manuscript1.doc" etc., as it will be indistinguishable from the 10s of other submissions so titled.
If illustrations are included, make sure the file size is not greater than 2 MB. If your file is larger than that, please email for instructions on how to send.
Manuscript format: we are not picky. Just make it readable. It is important that no personal information be included in the attached file: Please do not put your name or address in the page headers or on a title page. Use only the book's title as identification.
2. Entry fee: the entry fee is $30. This can be paid through PayPal, or by check to:
Leapfrog 2011 Fiction Contest, PO Box 2110, Teaticket, MA 02536. If mailing a check, please be sure your name, address, and manuscript are on the check or legible on the envelope, or else written on a piece of paper enclosed. This allows us to match checks with entries.
To pay with PayPal, click on the button below.
You will receive an email acknowledgment when your manuscript is received. Please allow two or three days for the acknowledgment.
Judges include Leapfrog Press editors and author Marge Piercy.
All judging is done "blind": the judges have no information except the manuscript itself and its title. Judging is done in several rounds. Manuscripts that are placed in the "awards" category will be divided into Honorable Mention, Semifinalist, and Finalist categories. These will be announced in May or early June. The first-prize winner will then be chosen from among the finalist manuscripts.
Marge Piercy is the author of 39 books, including 14 novels, many volumes of poetry, a memoir, and several works of nonfiction. Awards include, among many others, the Patterson Award for Literary Achievement, the Patterson Poetry Prize, an American Library Association Notable Book Award, and the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Science Fiction Novel (UK).
First Prize: publication contract offer from Leapfrog Press, with an advance payment, plus the finalist awards (see below).
Finalists: $150 and two critiques of the manuscript from contest judges; permanent listing on the Leapfrog Press contest page as a contest finalist, along with short author bio and description of the book.
Semi-Finalist: Choice of a free Leapfrog book; permanent listing on the Web site
Honorable Mention: listing on the Leapfrog Press Web site.
We encourage winners of all contests to inform us of any publicity/contracts/reviews of their entries. We will be happy to post that information on our Web site.